The present invention relates to a small watercraft and more specifically to a start system for a small watercraft.
The popularity of small watercrafts of the personal type has increased dramatically in recent years. Unfortunately, this increase in popularity has also brought about an increase in personal watercraft theft.
In order to protect against personal watercraft theft, personal watercrafts of the past have included a number of anti-theft devices. One of these devices is a lanyard switch that also functions as an emergency shut-off device. The lanyard switch includes a stop switch that protrudes from a handlebar assembly and a claw-shaped lanyard lock plate that engages the stop switch for allowing an ignition system of an engine to operate. The lock plate includes a cord and wrist strap for attaching the lock plate to an operator's wrist so that if the operator falls off of the watercraft during operation, the lock plate will disengage the stop switch so as to kill the engine. The lanyard switch provides some anti-theft protection because the lock plate is required to engage the stop switch in order to start and operate the engine. The problem with using a lanyard switch as the only means of anti-theft protection is that other plates and mechanisms can be substituted for the lock plate that also allow the engine to start and operate. As a result, the lanyard switch alone does not provide significant anti-theft protection.
Another device in personal watercrafts of the past that provides anti-theft protection is an anti-theft ignition key. This key allows the starting motor, which starts the engine, to be activated by a start switch located on the handlebar assembly of the watercraft. The key helps to protect against theft because without it, the watercraft engine is virtually impossible to start.
One drawback of this anti-theft ignition key is that the watercraft is effectively inoperable if the operator loses or forgets the key. Another drawback of this key is that it can be a nuisance to carry around in between watercraft uses because the operator is typically wearing a bathing suit that does not include a convenient means for carrying the key.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide significant anti-theft protection in the start system of a small watercraft that does not require a key.